Welcome, little artists and grown-up helpers! Halloween is a time for costumes, pumpkins, and spooky fun, but it’s also the perfect moment to explore colorful traditions from around the world. One especially magical celebration is the Day of the Dead Festival, where families remember loved ones with bright flowers, music, and delicious treats.
Our Day of the Dead Festival Halloween Coloring Pages bundle brings this joyful tradition to your home or classroom. With cheerful sugar skulls, marigolds, and friendly skeletons, your child will color and learn about this wonderful holiday. Grab your crayons and markers—let’s make Halloween even more special with a splash of Day of the Dead color!
Inside our Day of the Dead Festival Halloween Coloring Bundle, you’ll find a collection of joyful, imaginative scenes capturing the spirit of this colorful festival. Each page invites children to explore Mexican traditions with smiling skeletons, marigolds, sugar skulls, and playful scenes perfect for Halloween. Whether at home or in the classroom, these coloring sheets spark creativity, learning, and laughter—making Halloween extra memorable for your little ones.
Can you count all the marigolds around the sugar skull? Try making up a silly rhyme about the flowers and candles as you color!
How many different costumes can you find? Try giving each skeleton a new color and name while you practice counting and naming colors.
What would you put on your own ofrenda? Draw or color your favorite things on the altar, then tell a story about why they’re special.
How many flowers are in the children’s crowns? Practice your numbers by counting them, or make up a parade song to sing while you color.
Can you spot the butterflies? As you color the musician, make up a tune or clap a rhythm—maybe the marigolds and butterflies will dance along with you!
The Day of the Dead Festival is featured in Disney Pixar’s animated film ‘Coco,’ where a young boy journeys into a vibrant land of skeletons and memories, learning about the importance of family and traditions.
The book ‘Funny Bones’ by Duncan Tonatiuh tells the inspiring story of José Guadalupe Posada, the famous Mexican artist who created joyful skeleton art—called calaveras—that inspired many Day of the Dead decorations and crafts.
Many Halloween celebrations in the United States are now blending classic spooky traditions like costumes and trick-or-treating with colorful Day of the Dead symbols, such as sugar skull face paint and marigold garlands.
In the classic Halloween cartoon ‘The Book of Life,’ the Day of the Dead is brought to life with magical lands filled with singing skeletons, lively music, and bright papel picado banners fluttering in the wind.
During Halloween season, some families read stories about La Catrina, the elegant skeleton lady, who is a popular Day of the Dead character known for her fancy hats and cheerful smile, reminding everyone to celebrate life joyfully.
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. It’s a time when families honor and remember their loved ones who have passed away, not with sadness, but with love, laughter, and colorful decorations.
Sugar skulls, called calaveras, are a favorite Day of the Dead treat. These sweet candies are decorated with bright icing and flowers, often with a person’s name written on them. Children love to color and make their own paper sugar skulls during the festival!
Marigolds, known as ‘cempasúchil’ in Spanish, are the traditional flowers of the Day of the Dead. Their bright orange and yellow petals are said to guide the spirits back to visit their families, and they fill streets and homes with a lovely, festive scent.
Families build special altars, called ‘ofrendas,’ decorated with photos, favorite foods, toys, and candles. Each item on the altar is chosen to celebrate the unique things their loved ones enjoyed, creating a joyful, personalized tribute filled with heart and creativity.
Papel picado, or ‘perforated paper,’ is a colorful Mexican craft where tissue paper is cut into beautiful patterns. These banners are hung everywhere during the Day of the Dead, fluttering above parades, altars, and parties, bringing extra cheer to the celebration.
Download the 5 free ‘Day Of The Dead Festival’ Coloring Pages.
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Let’s say it together: Day of the Dead Festival! The word ‘Day’ starts with a cheerful ‘d’ sound—just like ‘dog’ or ‘dance.’ The word ‘Dead’ also starts with a letter ‘d’ sound, but remember to make it soft and gentle, not too spooky! ‘Festival’ has the fun letter ‘f’ sound at the beginning, like ‘fun,’ ‘friends,’ or ‘flowers.’ Parents, you can help your child practice these sounds by playing a game: say ‘Day,’ ‘Dead,’ and ‘Festival’ slowly and see if your child can clap, stomp, or snap every time they hear the ‘d’ or ‘f’ sound. Try making silly faces as you say the words, or draw a little skeleton dancing for every ‘d’ you spot. For a Halloween twist, have your child whisper the words like a friendly ghost or say them in their best skeleton voice. Practicing these sounds helps children with phonics, listening, and speaking—all while having a delightfully spooky good time!
Coloring Halloween pages like our Day of the Dead Festival bundle isn’t just fun—it’s fantastic for little learners! Coloring helps children strengthen their hand muscles, improve coordination, and develop focus. It encourages creativity, teaches color recognition, and lets kids express their feelings. Plus, when children color with family or friends, they learn to share, cooperate, and celebrate together. Every crayon stroke brings new skills and happy memories!
Fosters social interaction – Group colouring builds sharing, cooperation, and discussion.
Sparks creativity and imagination – Every colouring outcome is unique, fostering creative expression.
Encourages decision‑making – Choosing colours and deciding how to use them promotes autonomy.
Provides an emotional outlet – Offers a safe, non‑verbal channel for feelings and frustrations.
Introduces early math concepts – Counting shapes and repeated patterns develops foundational skills.
Builds patience and perseverance – Completing detailed colouring pages encourages sticking with tasks.
Coloring pages are more than just a fun pastime—they’re powerful learning tools for both home and classroom! Our Day of the Dead Festival Halloween coloring sheets can be used in many creative ways to support children’s growth in language, fine motor skills, and cultural awareness. Check out these engaging ideas for parents and teachers:
Gather your colored pages and invite children to tell a story about each scene. Ask questions like, “What’s the sugar skull’s name?” or “Why is the skeleton playing music?” Encourage kids to use their imagination, expanding vocabulary and narrative skills as they describe what’s happening and invent new characters.
Hide colored or uncolored Day of the Dead images around the room or garden. Give children a checklist of items to find, like marigolds, skeletons, or papel picado banners. As they search, help them sound out words, practice letter recognition, and talk about what each item means in the festival.
Invite children to dress up as friendly skeletons or musicians from the coloring pages. Use props like flower crowns or masks and act out a Day of the Dead parade or party. This sparks creativity, builds confidence, and encourages social skills such as taking turns and sharing ideas.
Focus on words from the festival, such as ‘marigold,’ ‘altar,’ or ‘calavera.’ Practice the beginning sounds, clap out syllables, or create a rhyme for each word (e.g., “Marigold, bold, hold!”). You can hang up each colored page and label the objects in English and Spanish for extra language learning.
Showcase children’s artwork with a Day of the Dead festival display. Add labels, fun facts, and short sentences describing each picture. Invite children to present their favorite page to the class or family, practicing speaking and listening skills. A colorful display celebrates everyone’s effort and helps kids take pride in their work.
Encourage careful coloring, tracing shapes, or even cutting out some of the images for crafts. Activities like these boost hand-eye coordination and prepare little hands for writing.
Use the coloring pages as a gentle introduction to Mexican culture and traditions. Read a simple Day of the Dead story, watch a short video, or listen to festival music while coloring together. Talk about how different families celebrate, fostering curiosity and respect for diversity.
With a little creativity, your Day of the Dead Festival coloring bundle becomes much more than a Halloween activity—it’s a springboard for learning, growing, and celebrating together!